the thrill of the fight
by humanveil
Summary: Olivia's had enough of Elliot's bullshit. Crack-y attempt at EO humor. Set in season eight.


**A/N: I can't believe I wrote this, but here's a fic set in season eight that's span style="text-decoration: line-through;"very/span loosely based around the otpprompt: person a is training for a marathon. while out running, person b follows them in their car with the speakers blasting out "eye of the tiger."**

 **This was meant to be a funny little one shot and somehow it turned into something a little longer and a little more serious but anyway. Due to the fact that this was _meant_ to be a crack fic, I didn't really put much effort in to the writing, and as a result the whole thing is, admittedly, kinda shit. (personally I dont think it flows but w/e) ((also it's like three am and im not thinking properly))**

 **Disclaimer: literally nothing but the writing is mine**

* * *

Olivia knows that the argument is partly her fault.

She should have said hello to him when she first got back from Oregon, even if it had just been a phone call to let him know she'd returned. She probably should have dropped by his apartment, or something, to explain why she'd been out of touch. She knows she shouldn't have just surprised Elliot by working the case, but she hadn't known how to come back.

Witnessing the ease with which Elliot had worked with his new partner hadn't helped, either.

Still, she was getting real sick of Elliot's pissy attitude. She'd fucked up by breaking some unspoken rule of their partnership, of their friendship, but she'd already fucking apologised. More than once, even, and he was still acting like a dick. She understands their relationship is more complex than any other she's ever had – there are things you don't say or don't do, lines that don't get crossed – but honestly, she'd spent the entire time away looking forward to working with her partner again, her best friend. Not some standoffish, immature, brat like she'd been dealing with the past few weeks.

That's probably the reason she finds herself in her car late on a Monday night, driving through the uncommonly empty streets of Manhattan towards her partner's apartment.

* * *

She spots him a few blocks from his apartment, eyes instantly recognising the built body jogging at a steady pace. Without thinking too much, she parks the car a little ahead, winding the window down to lean her head out and call out to him when he reaches her.

Elliot stops abruptly, and Olivia notices the slight surprise that flashes over his face before he conceals it with annoyance. "What are you doing?" he asks her, not moving any closer to her car.

"You're ignoring me."

She sees him roll his eyes in the dim light of the walkway, and already she knows he's going to run away. His eyes meet hers from the side walk, and as she suspects, he shakes his head and mutters a quiet _I'm not doing this now_ before taking off at a quicker pace.

Olivia calls out after him in what she knows is a futile attempt at getting him to stop. Groaning, she leans back in her seat, watching as his back turns the corner ahead of her. Her eyes roam the contents of her car, and she grins to herself as she spots an old CD lying around. Biting her lip to stop from laughing, she places the CD into the car's radio, finds the song she wants, and starts it on a low volume.

The opening instrumental of Survivor's _Eye of the Tiger_ begins to play as she pulls away from her parking spot and follows the direction she'd seen Elliot head towards, prepared to follow him until he listens to her. She drives slower than she normally would; window open, and steadily increases the volume of the radio. She sees Elliot slow down and look behind him, stopping all together as he spots her car once more.

Olivia starts to move to the beat of the song as she gets closer to her partner, ignoring the few people in the street who were staring.

" _Seriously?"_ Elliot yells as she pulls up next to him for a second time that night.

"Yep," she yells back, mouthing along as the words start. She looks at him expectantly, unable to keep the smile off her face, and waits for his reaction.

"Stop."

"Not until you get your ass in the car and listen to me, Stabler."

Instead of answering, Elliot just takes off again, increasing his speed further. Olivia knows that both of them are incredibly stubborn; incorrigible, even. She knows that there's a good chance Elliot won't cave and get in the car, but on the off chance he does, Olivia merely turns the volume of her radio as high as it can go and continues to follow him.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"

"NO."

"OLIVIA!"

"I WANT TO TALK THIS OUT LIKE ADULTS."

"RIGHT, BECAUSE _THIS_ IS MATURE," Elliot yells, still running. It's a valid point, Olivia knows, but it won't stop her from continuing to follow him around the city. Her pride would suffer far too much.

The song makes it to its second chorus before Elliot _finally_ stops, panting, and glares in her direction. She sees more than hears the irritated _for fuck sakes_ leave his mouth as he jogs to the other side of her car, quickly getting in the passenger's side and slamming the door shut. His hand immediately reaches for the radio, and within seconds the loud music comes to an abrupt halt.

"Are you happy now?" he asks, fingers rubbing at his forehead.

"Not really," Olivia replies honestly, winding her window up. "You're still acting like an ass, and now I have a headache."

"The headache's your own fault," Elliot points out, resting his forehead against the cool glass of the window as Olivia starts to drive normally. "And I have every right to act like an ass, you just followed me around my neighbourhood blasting _Eye of the Tiger_ , of all things."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, my friend."

Elliot doesn't reply, just looks out the windshield. "This isn't the way to my apartment."

"I know," his partner replies. "I'm hungry."

"Liv—"

"And you need to talk to me."

"We've already spoken about it."

"Not properly," she mutters. "Nothing's been resolved."

She hears him sigh, watches from the corner of her eye as he shuts his eyes. "I just wish you would have told me," he eventually mumbles.

"I didn't have time. You know how undercover work can be," Olivia states for what she honestly thinks is the hundredth time. "Besides, I already apologised for that."

"Not what I meant," he says quietly, and Olivia almost doesn't catch it.

"What?"

"I wish…" he sighs again, shifting uncomfortably. "I wish you would have told me when you came back. It seemed like everyone knew but me."

Silence.

Olivia doesn't really know what to say to that.

"Well?" Elliot presses, turning to her expectantly.

"I just," she sighs, quickly running a hands through her hair before placing it back on the driving wheel. "I don't know. I saw you with your new partner and I didn't know how to."

" _Temporary_ partner, Liv. I would have preferred you."

They stop at a red light and her eyes snap from the road to his face, and she stares into his eyes for as long as she's able to. "Would you?"

"Yes."

She stays quiet for a moment, and then "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too."

She nods, mouth slowly tilting to a knowing smirk, "So I'm a better partner?"

"Don't fish," he says, smiling back at her.

She laughs, and just like that, she can feel their relationship go back to normal. "Wanna get ice cream?"

"'s a little late, isn't it?"

"Never."

"I thought you were all healthy now?" he asks, grinning.

"Cheat day," Olivia replies sarcastically, already driving towards the store. "Want some or not?"

"Yeah."


End file.
